News Releases

EPA to Seek Public Input on Cleanup Plan for Contamination at Raymark Site in Stratford, Conn.

(Boston, Mass. – Sept. 7, 2010) – A 30-day public comment period will begin next week on the Proposed Cleanup Plan for a portion of the Raymark Industries, Inc. Superfund Site in Stratford, Conn. The comment period, which begins September 16, will end on October 16, 2010.

EPA has also scheduled a public meeting and public hearing to ensure adequate opportunity for the public to provide input on the proposal. The Public Informational Meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Septembe15, 2010 at Stratford High School, 44 North Parade, Stratford, CT. There will be a presentation on the plan followed by a discussion period.

A Public Hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 6, 2010 at the Stratford Town Hall Council Chamber, 2725 Main Street, Stratford, CT. At this hearing the public can offer oral and written comments on the plan. EPA does not respond to any of the comments made at the Public Hearing other than to indicate the time limits or to request clarification. At the close of the formal comment session, if time permits, EPA will be available to answer questions.

Over the past ten years, EPA has worked with the Conn. Dept. of Environmental Protection, state and local officials, and citizens from the Town of Stratford in an effort to reach consensus on moving forward with the cleanup of the Raymark Superfund Site. The development of a cleanup approach with both long-term and short-term goals has been the objective of these meetings. While EPA is still seeking consensus on a long-term cleanup plan to address the areas in Town that remain contaminated with Raymark waste, conceptual agreement has been reached on final cleanup actions at four properties and temporary actions for the remaining areas in Town contaminated with Raymark waste.

These final cleanup actions and the interim actions that are currently presented for public consideration in the Proposed Plan are projected to cost $4.6 million and include the following components:

Beacon Point Area of Concern 2 - Place institutional controls that restrict excavation and groundwater use on a portion of this Town-owned property; - Estimated cost is $184,609

576/600 East Broadway - Excavate Raymark waste from the 100 year floodplain to a depth of four feet and place on the upland portion of the two properties to be capped; - If capacity allows, place Raymark waste excavated from Third Avenue onto the properties; - Place a low permeability cap on all Raymark waste on the properties located above the 100 year floodplain; - Integrate final slopes with abutting residential properties (and for potential future development); - Continue monitoring of groundwater and perform cap maintenance, as required; - Place institutional controls that restrict excavation in the capped area and restrict the use of groundwater; - Estimated cost is $3,349,396.

Interim Actions - Place institutional controls on all remaining Raymark waste locations throughout Stratford. Institutional controls may include restrictions on excavations, groundwater use, and notification requirements such as fencing or signage. The types of controls necessary will be determined on a property by property basis and are only temporary measures to reduce the potential of exposures to Raymark waste. These temporary measures will remain in place until final remedies are complete. - Estimated cost is $855,858

Copies of the proposed plan will be available to the public starting on September 13 at Stratford's Library, Town Hall, and Health Department and will also be available at both meetings and on EPA's website: http://www.epa.gov/ne/superfund/sites/raymark. More detailed information concerning the cleanup alternatives evaluated for the Proposed Plan is available in the Raymark Industries, Inc. Operable Unit 6 Feasibility Study and the accompanying Administrative Record. Both will be available for review beginning September 15 on the EPA website and at the Site information repositories located at the Stratford Public Library, 2203 Main Street and at EPA's Records and Informational Center, 5 Post Office Square, Boston, Mass.

EPA welcomes input provided during the public comment period and uses comments to improve the remedy selection decision. There are three ways for individuals to express their comments on the Proposed Plan:

Written comments may be mailed and postmarked by October 16, 2010 to Ron Jennings, U.S. EPA, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100 (OSRR07-1), Boston, MA 02109-3912 . Written comments may also be emailed to jennings.ron@epa.gov by October 16, 2010.

Oral comments may be spoken into the official record during the Public Hearing on October 6, 2010.

NOTE: Only comments received during the 30-day formal public comment period \will be considered and become part of the official record. Comments and responses will be incorporated into the final Record of Decision to be issued at a later date.

EPA and the CT Department of Environmental Protection encourage you to attend the public meetings. For further information about these meetings or the public comment process, call Jim Murphy of EPA's Public Affairs office at (617) 918-1028, or toll-free at 1-888-372-7341, extension 81028.